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Yankes trade Jorbit Vivas.
The New York Yankees made an intriguing trade ahead of Opening Day.
With the Yankees having some tough roster decisions to make, New York traded away infielder Jorbit Vivas to the Washington Nationals. MLB insider Andrew Golden reported the Yankees dealt Vivas to the Nationals for pitching prospect Sean Paul Linan.
Vivas was out of options and was unlikely to make the Yankees’ Opening Day roster, so New York gets a prospect back for someone who was likely to be claimed off waivers.
The 25-year-old infielder made his MLB debut last season with the Yankees after spending three years in the organization. New York acquired Vivas from the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023 to add some infield depth, but he failed to make an impact.
Vivas appeared in 29 games last season with the Yankees, hitting .161 with 1 home run and 5 RBIs. With the Nationals, Vivas can be a utility player who can play second and third base and give Washington some infield depth off the bench.
Who is Sean Paul Linan?
The Yankees acquired Linan in an intriguing move as he could reach the majors soon.
Linan is the Nationals’ 27th-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and he’s known for his changeup. The outlet called Linan’s changeup may be the best in the entire minor leagues.
“Linan has a legitimate claim for the best changeup in Minor League Baseball,” the prospect profile read. “The 6-foot right-hander throws the 79-82 mph offering like a screwball with significant drop and armside run, and oddly, it’s also his highest-spin pitch.
“Batters whiffed on 60 percent of their swings against the cambio that earns Devin Williams comps from virtually all that witness it. But how far can Liñan can go on that one pitch alone? He throws a 90-93 mph four-seamer and sinker with ordinary movement that got crushed in ’25; at their best, he can sneak them by batters waiting for the lower-velo changeup. Liñan also has a mid-80s cutter/slider with only slight armside movement.”
Although Linan has a dominant changeup, he hasn’t been able to find much success with other pitches. So, it’s expected he will be a reliever in the future, but could make the MLB season.
“Linan looked like he could deliver enough strikes at Single-A and High-A, but his brief runs in Triple-A and the Fall League made that less of a certainty. He could stand to add some extra velocity. And considering he’s only entering his age-21 season in 2026, that remains a possibility. But for now, he’s trending a one-pitch relief role, albeit with that one pitch being excellent.”
Linan was 3-4 with a 3.03 ERA in 19 games, including 15 starts, between A+ and AAA.
Yankees Roster Appears to be Set
With Opening Day just days away, the Yankees’ roster is likely set.
New York optioned Jasson Dominguez and Oswaldo Cabrera to Triple-A, which left a bench of catcher J.C. Escarra, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, infielder/outfielder Amed Rosario, and veteran outfielder Randal Grichuk.
The Yankees enter the 2026 MLB season as one of the top teams. And one of the favorites to win the World Series.
New York opens its 2026 MLB season on March 25 on the road against the San Francisco Giants.
Cole Shelton Cole Shelton covers the NHL, MLB and Cleveland Browns for Heavy.com. He has covered pro and college sports since 2016, including bylines at BJ Penn, USA Today, SB Nation, Rotowire, Canadian Baseball Network and more. More about Cole Shelton
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